The Model S has outsold the M5 in the US year to date, I don't think BMW is cancelling that car anytime soon. Same with the A8, and the Porsche Panamera.
Correct, but why should BMW cancel the M5 on account of that fact? Plus, the M5 is just one model of the 5-series (and certainly not the top selling one). I'd wager the 530 or 535 Diesel is outselling the M5 tenfold.
Anyway, I was just trying to say that VW (after all that's what this topic is about) is selling millions of cars each year, all of them (up to now) with conventional engines, of which many are very fuel efficient already while at the same time quite affordable (especially the Skoda lineup is selling like crazy here, because these are great value for money cars - that means a lot to many people).
Let's face facts: EV's are great to drive (especially the Model S), they can be cheaper to run (under certain conditions), and they might be the future of cars. I say might because one never knows what surprises the future has in store.
But EVs are also still a novelty, many are urban mobility vehicles, nothing more. Only Model S up to now has shown the true potential of EVs as viable alternatives for everyday use. But at a high cost that many people just can't afford. And even if they could, there will still be petrolheads that just don't want an EV. Amongst my colleagues are many sceptics that aren't even won over by the rave reviews I gave them of my Model S test drive. They always bring up the range argument. And while we here know that is BS, to those people (in their minds) that just cancels out even considering an EV as a potential next car.
So I think many in the "old" automotive industry think alike. At least VW is bold enough (like Renault and BMW) to release several EVs into the market, even if their offerings are (for starters) just electrified variants of current models like the up! or the Golf. It's a start at least. I just hope these cars will sell well enough to make VW (and the others) then finally develop "real" EVs.